Brett Harrison, the former president of FTX US, is spearheading a new initiative to expand the reach of perpetual futures contracts—an innovation that revolutionized crypto trading—into mainstream financial markets, including stocks, currencies, and commodities.
His new venture, Architect Financial Technologies, has secured regulatory approval from the Bermuda Monetary Authority to offer perpetual futures across a wide spectrum of assets. These include foreign exchange, interest rates, equities, stock indexes, metals, energy products, and other traditional commodities.
Perpetual futures differ from standard futures contracts in a key way—they have no expiration date. This feature allows traders to maintain open positions indefinitely, providing continuous opportunities to speculate on price movements. The model has been central to the explosive growth of crypto derivatives on platforms like Binance and OKX, where “perps” have become popular among both retail and institutional traders.
“We’re building a modern derivatives platform for traditional assets,” Harrison said, highlighting his vision to eventually expand into emerging sectors tied to the AI economy, such as rare earth elements, renewable energy, and data center computing costs.
While U.S. regulators have yet to approve perpetual futures for domestic trading, industry watchers believe that easing restrictions could soon pave the way for broader investor access. For now, Architect’s platform, known as AX, will operate under Bermuda’s regulatory regime, enabling 24/7 global trading and allowing participants to post collateral in either fiat currency or U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins.
Harrison’s extensive background in high-frequency trading and financial technology—from his leadership roles at FTX US, Citadel Securities, and Jane Street Group—positions Architect for success. The company is currently raising funds in a Series A round, having already secured $17 million from notable backers such as Coinbase Ventures, Circle Ventures, and Anthony Scaramucci’s SALT Fund.
If successful, Architect’s approach could usher in a new phase of financial innovation—bridging the flexibility of crypto markets with the scale and diversity of traditional finance.
